No secret I have carried one of these, for a long time, and currently do.
I will not deny some bias, as I had a Case Peanut, with CV blades put into my dresser drawer crib when I was brought home from being born in 1955.

This review is about a current, new production, 2008 model.
The reason being, some folks are restricted in workplaces on knives they can have in the building /workplace.

I am in the Southern United States, and legal blade length is defined as being 3 1/2" or less.
We have some workplaces , that have implemented restrictions:

-Closed length of knife must be 3" or less.
-No blades over 2 1/2" [to be on the safe side, I suggest measuring from pivot hole to blade tip]
-No locking knives.
-No assisted opening or other "easy access" opening.

So this review is not only for our friends in the UK and other restrictive countries, is also applies to those in the USA, where restrictions are imposed by policy.

--
Purchased at a local Mom&Pop Hardware store, this was the first box handed over and looked at and chosen.

Fit and finish, is perfect!
Everything is fit, flush, and the brass rivets, nickel bolsters are perfect!

Peanuts have half-stops, and the walk-n-talk on this knife is impeccable!
Two back springs, one for each blade are stout! Still not too stout to safely open and close.

Nail nicks, nice and deep, and assure a secure and safe opening, add the half-stop adds insurance on safe use.

Sharp out of the box!

I not only examined this knife with my normal bifocals, I did also with an Opti-Visor (magnification).

Edge was complete from tang to top, on both blades, and uniform.

Now I tested this blade on a finger nail, it would not slip. I tested it against the Peanut I carry and have sharpened, keep sharp and while not as sharp - it was sharp enough to use out of the box.

Normally, all I do is use a Case Hard Arkansas stone [ the small 2 7/8" one in plastic box] to touch up, it does not take much.

This one, after looking at it under a magnification, I took the back of a legal pad and stropped it, with no polish.
Seriously, this edge is polished, and sharp!

There is no blade play, tang meets back spring as it is supposed to and there is a the craftsmanship showing, this blade to back spring is designed to allow wear in.

One fault, if there is one. A personal preference for me - the Shield, is not pinned in instead cemented.

I eased these out, on all Case Knives with this Shield and clean, remove all cement, degrease, and use Epoxy to secure these.
I did this one, as I do, and some of these knives I have done this with, get hard use ( mine does) and have never lost a sheild.

Chrome Vanadium will take on a natural patina. While Case suggest a light coat of oil, to protect blades, I do something else.

Recall gun bluing is essentially "forced rust" that is stopped.

I open blades, clean, degrease, and set the knife in a coffee mug, point down and add Dr. Pepper , just up to the tang and let set.
This one sat for about an hours or so.

Nice patina, rinse off and since the edges gained a patina, I just stropped lightly on newspaper, no paste, just the newspaper.

Now it is the way I prefer a Case Knife with CV blades to looks and be ready for use.
Just some Kleen-Bore Formula 3 gun oil on pivots and good to go.

-

First off, distance is your friend, so stick beats knife, ( like a cane) so I and other are not carrying a knife to use in a knife fight.
Truth is - a screwdriver will do better as one will not get cut which is a common occurrence using a knife, even with detention moves.

Peanut will allow one to sharpen a No. Pencil, and other normal everyday uses, and some are "improvised" or "expedient" defensive tools.

-
One never knows the where or when of next encounter - CRSam.

So I fixed Roast,with potatoes, carrots, celery, onions in a cast iron dutch oven - using only the Peanut as my only knife.

Baked Apples, and Baked onion, both cored and prepped with the Peanut.

I went down to where some of my kind where hit.
My only pocket knife : this Peanut.

There was a Old Hickory knife in the truck if I needed it - my role was providing security, and other things I do.
Model 94 in 30-30, 170 grainers, Sidearm concealed, Old farm truck in 4WD and , Q beam my main tools, to enter this real time hell.

Think of whatever one might have to cut in a situation - and I used a Peanut.
Cord, tarp, blanket, - it cut.
Leather, boxes, and strapping tape, it cut.

Splinter in a hand of another, use a Peanut.

Need to siphon gas, who knows where the siphon hose went , a cut a garden hose with a Peanut.

Cap will not come a Coleman Fuel Lantern can - open it with a Peanut, time is of importance and run what you brung...
Move, do, act, keep on going and the Peanut never let me down.

Slice off a bit of ham, cheese, apple, to eat while on the run, toss ithis in a bandanna and hit it again...

Peanut, did not fail me, again, I have used one a lot, so I have edge on some on what this knife can do, and how to use it.

I sharpen freehand.
One only really needs one stone, a Norton India, combo coarse and fine.
My personal two favorites are IB6 and the most used is the small 3x1" one.

In the middle of a field, wee hours, rain, 60 mph wind, I can and did touch up a knife for someone else.
Freehand, in a serious situation.

Norton stone, put an edge back on a nice knife with steel blades.
With experience, one can, and I do get a scary sharp edge with a Norton India stone, nothing dry to strop on really, so I did not.

Case Hard/Fine Arkansas, is one additional stone I like. Goes way back from having to work with hand tools.

I am expecting to have to sharpen this Peanut, I really did use it, actually got some comments about what all I did do with it.

It just took using the Case Hard/Fine stone, and stropping on blue jeans, and then newspaper to get it back, to where it was.

-
Hopefully one will be in a restricted setting and the only knife a small non-locking one, and matters get serious.
Still a knife is to cut with, and it needs to do that well and keep and edge.
Touch up a blade on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup in the break room, after cutting patch cords to seal off a room...

All sorts of thing can be used in a restricted office setting , for defensive means and survival means...like a tornado hitting a building.

Since sm's brain is not for sale (or maybe it's open source?) this does not count as an endorsement :D

coelacanth

February 18, 2008, 06:54 PM

"stream of consciousness" narrative. When I try to do that it comes out more like a "stream of semi-consciousness". :D

MaterDei

February 24, 2008, 07:18 AM

My 10 year old daughter got a peanut from grandma and grandpa for Christmas. She carries it wherever she goes. :)

sm

February 24, 2008, 12:54 PM

Your 10 year old daughter is extremely smart!
You were never able to wrap her grandma and grandpa around her little finger like she can.

You should listen to your daughter and get a Peanut too...*grin*

Pax Jordana

February 25, 2008, 08:24 AM

I'd carry one just for the intimidation value.

yeah, you read me right.

Getting stabbed with a peanut - especially by a 10 year old or an old fuff - would do terrible things to your street cred. God forbid you die from it. That could be the most ignoble way to die, ever.

jparham

February 26, 2008, 07:07 PM

Getting stabbed with a peanut - especially by a 10 year old or an old fuff - would do terrible things to your street cred. God forbid you die from it. That could be the most ignoble way to die, ever.
Oh Gosh, that's funny!
As to Cases with yellow handles and CV blades:
I love 'em. Absolutely love 'em. Maybe it's because my first good quality knife, that I was given when I was eight, was a Case Yellow Handle Medium Stockman, CV. I still have that knife, six years on, and two of its three blades are still shar. The third (unfortunately the Sheepsfoot) is pretty dull. I need to get one of these Norton sharpening stones and learn to sharpen, and then maybe it can get back to slipjoint duty.

jparham

February 26, 2008, 07:38 PM

Edit-When I say slipjoint duty, I mean the knife that's in my left front pocket, along with my cell phone. Usually its a Vic Electrician Plus or Recruit, a Case Sodbuster Jr, or a RR Orange Handle Congress (surprinsingly good quality). In my right pocket I have a Levenger Pocket Briefcase International, with a Swisscard Lite in it, and some kind of "tactical" folder clipped, usually Byrd Meadowlark or Buck Mayo Hilo, but occasionally a Benchmade Vex or CRKT M16 (once it gets fixed)

sm

February 26, 2008, 07:41 PM

Getting stabbed with a peanut

I am not advocating anything.
I am on record as posting a knife fight is not on my agenda of things to do - again.

Do a search for 'newspaper knife', it goes by other names too.
Now do a search for "Papillion", and while the movie was great, it is the book I am referring to.
There a lot of street smart tools in that book.

Remember, small knives, folding knives, with no locks, have been successfully carried into and out of places, like those with checkpoints.
Some folks know how to use a wee bit of sharp steel, and they know how to keep a blade from closing shut.

This is not new...oh no...goes way way back.
Armchair Q'backs and Mall Ninjas cannot even comprehend this far back...